33 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



are capable of being classified according as they subserve 

 the purposes of mills, navigation, simple drainage, or 

 any one or more of these and other objects ; and the 

 remedial measures will be of similar character in certain 

 descriptions of cases. We have already a sufficient 

 number of precedents of the purchase of mills and canals, 

 and compensations of all kinds, to guide us in framing 

 a new general Act, or to direct the elective Boards or 

 Committees in the drainage districts how to proceed in 

 dealing with rights and claims. 



I have not time now to comment upon the ques- 

 tion of an improver's right of water-way through the 

 grounds of neighbouring proprietors, who, seeing no 

 special value in a deep-level drainage, miiy refuse to do 

 mure than maintain un old water-course of the same 

 width, depth, and section which it had in the time of 

 King Alfred, or perhaps of the ancient Britons. All 

 cases touching upon such rights of discharge from lands 

 farmed on modern principles would be duly provided 

 for in a good general Act. 



Our rivers and streams are now under some sort of 

 conservancy ; but with the kingdom divided into drain- 

 age districts, I conceive that proper officers might be 

 appointed to watch over and examine every portion of 

 the tract forming a district, from the tidal harbour to 

 the ditch which has to convey the water of more than 

 one farm. If you want a model for such a state of 

 things, go to the Bedford Level Corporation, who manage 

 an immense network of drains, banks, and sluices in the 

 Fens. 



You will find among their oflBeers the engineer, who 

 has his annual salary and paid assistant, his duties being 

 to report, from time to time, the state of the various 

 works belonging to the Corporation, to advise as to 

 their repairs, renewal, situation, and effect, and to carry 

 into execution the order of the Board, The whole 

 work and duties of the district superintendents and offices 

 are executed with his concurrence, and the entire system 

 of drainage works are under his general control. Four 

 superintendents also are annually elected, for the care 

 and protection of as many divisions of the district, 

 known as the Middle and South Levels. Each super- 

 intendent has once, at least, during each year, to view 

 the public rivers, drains, banks, bridges, sluices, tunnels, 



and other works within his division or district ; he is to 

 report, from time to time, all encroachments on the 

 banks, and impediments to the passage of waters to 

 their outfall ; he is to order works to be done, enter 

 into contracts, expend moneys, and all under the con- 

 trolling direction of the engineer and the orders of the 

 Corporation. 



I consider that a general Act should embrace two dis- 

 tinct objects. In the first place, it should enable any 

 drainage district to remodel, improve, reclaim, by em- 

 powering it to deal with every possible form of water- 

 right for the common good — to execute works, to raise 

 rates for payment, and to establish a permanently or- 

 ganized supervision for the maintenance or improvement 

 of the whole system of water-works in that district. 

 And, in the second place, it should provide for the case 

 of isolated estates or farms, towns, or other interests, in 

 districts not needing or not willing to combine in such 

 general works or extensive supervision. 



The bill introduced into Parliament in 1852, by the 

 Earl of Carlisle, is the best attempt yet made towards 

 framing such a law. Let this and the Irish Drainage 

 Acts be studied, and a still better bill be forthwith pre- 

 pared and brought before the Legislature. It may be 

 some time before such a comprehensive measure is 

 really carried : meanwhile, an Amendment of Lord 

 Lincoln's Outfall Act of 1847 might be passed, 

 and give suffering individual improvers in a benighted 

 or factious locality the means of relief so much re- 

 quired. 



In conclusion, I must declare my opinion that the 

 country greatly needs the immediate appointment of a 

 commission of inquiry, which shall examine and report 

 upon the drainage condition of Great Britain, thus fur- 

 nishing a body of evidence which would "prove the 

 preamble " of a general bill, and by the description of 

 cases and precedents enable principles of procedure in 

 compensating and settling with conflicting claims, to be 

 drawn up alike for the guidance of the district drainage 

 boards and the central commission. 



I am, Sir, yours truly, 



John Algernon Clabkk. 



Long Sutton, Lincolnshire, Nov, 29, 1860. 



A STEP FURTHER IN STEAM PLOUGHING. 



Continuing our description of Mr. Fowler's new 

 clipping drum, we must refer to the diagram given last 

 month to illustrate its action. We have said that the 

 amount of holding power from the frictional contact of 

 the rope in a groove, is in proportion to the pressure of 

 the rope against its sides ; so that as the new drum has 

 only 7 feet length of rope (or one half-turn) embraced 

 in its groove, instead of 21 feet, which was the length 

 found necessary for the old drum, three times the 

 pressure per foot must be applied in order to prevent 

 slipping. Accordingly, the span of the clips, that is 

 the distance apart of their hinges or fulcra, is adjusted 



so that the rope of the lO-horse engine, fths of an 

 inch in thickness, compresses itself in every part of its 

 course round the drum with a force of 3^1bs. for every 

 pound of its own inward pressure ; whereas the effective 

 hold of the old V-groove, being simply derived from 

 the inward pressure of the rope without leverage, was 

 3i times less. We have watched one of the new drums 

 in operation upon a 10-horse engine, driving four fur- 

 rows 7 inches deep in soil of medium tenacity, with 

 800 yards of rope running ; and not the slightest 

 amount of slipping occurred. But how does the rope 

 bear such severe oppression ? Judging by the eye, not 



